Wednesday, March 28, 2012

While we were working on the house, we stayed with my parents. We didn't want to move all of our stuff in before we painted and put down new carpet, so we had a really extended sleepover.

At my parents house, the girls each slept in their own playpen. And yes, if you're wondering, they are just about to be too long for that to work anymore.

In some ways, it's nice. They sit right next to each other, talking before they fall asleep or first thing in the morning.

In other ways, though, it's become a bit of a problem.

We put them to bed, said our goodnights and headed out the door. A few minutes later, Grace started crying. Then the crying turned to screaming and the screaming turned into "MOTHER, GET IN HERE RIGHT THIS MINUTE!"

I opened the door -- it was pitch black -- went over to Grace's bed and bent over to pick her up. Lifted her up and realized the baby I was holding wasn't Grace.

Friday, March 23, 2012

I haven't had a chance to share the news with you because of work and life and the havoc that buying the house has caused on my sleep schedule.

After a six-month search, many houses seen, and a few snatched from us, we stumbled upon this beauty.

She has character. She has enough space for our current family and any potential expansions. She brings with her a fun backyard that I immediately envisioned the girls playing in. And she's close to everything -- no more 20-minute drives just to get to the store.

In short, we love her.

But she was a bit outdated. She was an older lady who never changed her hairstyle and still wore gaudy floral wallpaper.

So, since we closed the deal, we have been giving her a makeover. New paint, new carpets, new flooring. And although she is really starting to shine, the process has taken its toll on Scott and I, who get up every morning at 4 a.m., the girls who are being lugged back and forth multiple times a day between the new house and Grandma's and my poor, poor family -- who has been doing the bulk of the work. They have been fantastic. While I sat at Grandma's, working and waiting for the girls to wake up from nap, they were building walls, ripping out carpet and working their tails off. I couldn't be more grateful for them.

Aside from March's Maddening Makeover, we are so completely excited to move in. The house will be great, the neighborhood is great, but most of all, we're excited to move home. Although this isn't Scott's official hometown, there's something about it that makes it feel like coming home.

There's a beauty and an energy to this town that you don't find elsewhere. That's something I didn't fully understand until after I moved away. I've lived in bigger cities and smaller cities, but nothing has ever felt as right as this city. And I can't wait to raise my girls here.

Still to come: Keep your eyes peeled for the full home makeover post with before and after pictures. A sneak preview: we ditched this railing and thanks to my brother, replaced it with a true work of art.

Our Family

On Dec. 26, 2009, our lives were forever changed with the birth of our twin daughters -- Grace and Claire. Five years later, we rocked our world again with the birth of our son, Henry. Each day brings new adventures: we relish the good ones, survive the bad ones and hope that we're teaching our kiddos something along the way.